A Pierce County judge has ordered a local business owner to pay over $360,000 in penalties and restitution for defrauding gas station owners across several counties, according to a statement from Attorney General Bob Ferguson’s office.
The ruling follows a consumer protection lawsuit against Kevin Wilkerson, who operates Northwest Environmental Services and Core Environmental Group.
Wilkerson was found to have charged gas station owners for incomplete, unnecessary, or poorly executed work on underground fuel storage tanks.
The judge’s order includes full restitution plus interest for nine gas station owners, most of whom identify as Korean or South Asian, who were victimized by Wilkerson’s actions.
“These were small business owners just trying to follow the rules,” Ferguson said. “Wilkerson put their livelihoods at risk.”
Wilkerson’s companies falsely advertised expertise in maintaining underground storage tanks, which are used by gas stations across the state to store fuel.
Instead of following state regulations, Wilkerson performed substandard work, left projects unfinished, or installed unnecessary equipment, costing the business owners thousands.
He often refused to respond to the owners when they sought refunds.
In one case, an Indian gas station owner paid a $50,000 deposit for new fuel tanks, only to find that Wilkerson had failed to apply for the necessary permits.
Another gas station owner in Olympia had to pay out of pocket to fix a corrosion protection system Wilkerson had incorrectly installed.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Clarence Henderson Jr. ordered Wilkerson to pay a total of $360,741, including $195,000 in penalties for targeting business owners based on their national origin.
Wilkerson must also cease all unlawful conduct or face further legal action.
The Attorney General’s office believes additional business owners may have been affected and urges anyone harmed by Wilkerson to come forward.
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